What You'll Be CreatingThis tutorial will show you how to use brush settings, layer styles, healing tools, adjustment layers, and some tips and tricks to create a shiny, bright, fun tinsel text effect. Let's get started!
This text effect was inspired ...

If you’re a true Star Trek fan, then you’re going to love this tutorial
since we’re going to be recreating the iconic NCC-1701 starship, using a step-by-step
process based on some basic geometric shapes and tools.

That being said, grab a hot cup of the energizing space juice, and let's get started!

1. How to Set Up a New Project File

Since I’m hoping you already have
Illustrator up and running in the background, bring it up and let’s set up a New Document (File > New or Control-N)
for our project using the following settings:

Number
of Artboards: 1

Width:
800
px

Height:
600
px

Units:
Pixels

And from the Advanced tab:

Color
Mode: RGB

Raster
Effects: Screen (72ppi)

Preview Mode: Default

2. How to Set Up a Custom Grid

Even though today we’re not working on
icons, we’ll still want to create the illustration using a pixel-perfect
workflow, so let’s set up a nice little Grid so that we can have full control
over our shapes.

Step 1

Go to the Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid submenu, and adjust
the following settings:

Step 2

Once we’ve set up our custom grid, all we
need to do in order to make sure our shapes look crisp is enable the Snap to Grid option found under the View menu (that’s if you're using an
older version of Illustrator).

Now, if you’re new to
the whole “pixel-perfect workflow”, I strongly recommend you go through my How
to Create Pixel-Perfect Artwork tutorial, which will help you widen your
technical skills in no time.

3. How to Set Up the Layers

Once we’ve finished setting up our project
file, it would be a good idea to structure our document using a few layers, since this way we can maintain a steady workflow by focusing on one
section of the illustration at a time.

That being said, bring up the Layers panel and create a total of four
layers, which we will rename as follows:

layer
1: background

layer
2: starship

layer
3: warp lines

layer 4: texture

Quick tip: I’ve colored all of my layers using the same
green value, since it’s the easiest one to view when used to highlight your
selected shapes (whether they’re closed or open paths).

4. How to Create
the Background

We’re going to kick off the
project by quickly creating the interstellar background, so make sure you’re on
the right layer (that would be the first one), and then lock all the other ones
so that we can get started.

Step 1

Create a 360 x 360 px circle,
which we will color using #343434 and then center align to the underlying
Artboard, positioning it 108
px from its top edge.

Step 2

Take a couple of moments and add the static stars using a couple of 4 x 4 px circles, which we will color
using a lighter orange (#EFC36C) and a slightly darker one (#EF986C) and
position on the background as seen in the reference image. Once you’re done,
select and group all of them together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 3

Start working on the first of the moving objects by creating its tail
using a 4 x 16 px rectangle, to
which we will apply a 90ºLinear Gradient using #6FCDE2 for both
color stops. Set the right color’s Opacity
to 0%, positioning the resulting
shape next to one of the static stars.

Step 4

Add the head section using a 4 x 4 px circle, which we will color
using #6FCDE2 and then position onto the tail as seen in the reference image.
Once you have the shape in place, select and group (Control-G) the two together before moving on to the next step.

Step 5

Add a few more moving objects using copies (Control-C > Control-F) of the one that we’ve just finished
working on, which we will position on the sides of the background as seen in
the reference image. Once you’re done, don’t forget to select and group (Control-G) all of them together.

Step 6

As soon as you’ve finished working on the background, you can select and
group (Control-G) all its composing
shapes together, locking its layer before moving on to the next one.

5. How to Create
the Starship

Assuming you’ve
finished working on the background, make your way to the next layer (that would
be the second one) and let’s start building the iconic USS Enterprise NCC-1701
starship!

Step 1

Create the main shape for the ship’s secondary hull using a 28 x 64 px rectangle, which we will
color using #AAAAAA and then center align to the underlying background,
positioning it 140 px from its top edge.

Step 2

Add the hull’s center section
using a 28 x 80 px rectangle (#AAAAAA),
which we will adjust by individually selecting its bottom anchor points using
the Direct Selection Tool (A), and
then pushing them to the inside by 4 px using the Move tool
(right click > Transform > Move
> Horizontal > +/- 4 px depending on which side you start with).
Once you’re done, position the resulting shape as seen in the reference image.

Step 3

Position another smaller 20 x 4
px rectangle (#AAAAAA) beneath the one that we’ve just adjusted, and then
select and unite all three shapes into a single larger one using Pathfinder’s Unite Shape Mode.

Step 4

Create the hangar’s entry section using a 12 x 4 px rectangle (#7F7F7F), which we
will adjust by setting the Radius of
its bottom corners to 4 px from
within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties. Position the
resulting shape beneath the larger hull, making sure to leave a 4 px gap between them, which will act
as a hard shadow.

Step 5

Start adding details to the current section of the ship by creating an 8 x 8 px circle (#7F7F7F), on top of
which we’ll add a smaller 4 x 4 px one
(#F2A16B), which we will group (Control-G)
and then position at a distance of 2 px from
its bottom edge.

Step 6

Add the vertical detail line using a 2 x 56 px rounded rectangle (#7F7F7F)
with a 1 px Corner Radius, which we
will center align to the hull, positioning it at a distance of 2 px from its circular detail.

Step 7

Create a slightly bigger 8 x 24
px rounded rectangle (#7F7F7F) with a 4
px Corner Radius, which we will position on the vertical detail line so
that it overlaps its bottom section by 4 px.

Step 8

Next, take a couple of moments and add the
little rectangular details using fourteen 2
x 4 px rectangles (#7F7F7F), which we will position onto the sides of the
hull as seen in the reference image. Once you’re done, make sure
you select and group all of them together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 9

Add the shadow cast by the ship’s main hull
using a 152 x 152 px circle, which
we will color using #343434 and then center align to the current section’s top
edge.

Step 10

Mask the shadow that we’ve just created using a
copy (Control-C) of the ship’s
secondary hull (highlighted with red), which we will paste in front (Control-F), and then with both shapes
selected, right click > Make Clipping
Mask. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the current section’s composing shapes together,
before moving on to the next step.

Step 11

Star working on the ship’s main hull by creating
a 136 x 136 px circle, which we will
color using #D8D8D8 and then center align to the previous section’s top edge.

Step 12

Add a subtle highlight by creating two copies
(Control-C > Control-F twice) of
the circle that we’ve just positioned, and then pushing the top
one to the bottom by 4 px,
cutting it out from the one from underneath afterwards using Pathfinder’s Minus Front Shape Mode. Color the resulting shape using white
(#FFFFFF), before moving on to the next step.

Step 13

Add the ring
sections using five 2 px thick
circles (#AAAAAA), with the following Width
and Height values:

first circle: 126 x 126 px

second circle: 106 x 106 px

third circle: 86 x 86 px

fourth circle: 66 x 66 px

fifth circle: 46 x 46 px

Position the shapes as seen in the reference image, making sure to select
and group all of them together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 14

Start working on the detail lines by creating the vertical one using a 140 px tall 2 px thick Stroke (#AAAAAA),
which we will center align to the ship’s main hull.

Step 15

Create the second line using the Rotate
tool, by selecting the one that we’ve already have and then right click > Transform > Rotate >
Angle >360 / 16 (which gives
you a 22.5º angle), making sure to
use the Copy function. The first
value is the actual circumference of the circle, while the second one is the
number of segments that we want to delimit after adding all the line details.

Step 16

Gradually add the remaining strokes using
Illustrator’s repeatfunction, by pressing Control-D six times, until you have the same result as in the reference image.

Step 17

Make sure that all of the lines’ anchor points
are snapped to the underlying pixel grid, by turning on Pixel Preview mode (Alt-Control-Y) and then manually
selecting and repositioning them with the help of the Direct Selection Tool (A). Take your time, and once you’re done, select and group all of the adjusted strokes together using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

Step 18

Create an 8
x 6 px rectangle, which we will color using #7F7F7F and then center align
to the circle’s bottom edge.

Step 19

Add a 4 x
24 px rectangle (#7F7F7F) above the shape that we’ve just created,
adjusting it afterwards by setting the Radius
of its top corners to 2 px from
within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties.

Step 20

Select and group all of the main hull’s details, masking them afterwards using a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the larger underlying circle (right click > Make Clipping Mask).

Step 21

Start working on the bridge section by creating
a 28 x 28 px circle, which we will
color using #EDEDED and then center align to the larger underlying circle.

Step 22

Adjust the shape that we’ve just created by selecting its bottom anchor point using the Direct Selection Tool (A), and then
pushing it to the bottom by 12 px using the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move > Vertical > 12 px).

Step 23

As we did with the ship’s main hull, give the bridge section a 2 px tall highlight which we
will color using #FFFFFF.

Step 24

Add the hard shadow using a copy (Control-C
> Control-B) of the shape that we adjusted a few steps ago, which we
will color using #343434 and then push to the bottom by 4 px using either the keyboard’s
directional arrows or the Move tool (right click > Transform > Move >
Vertical > 4 px).

Step 25

Create the center section of the bridge using a 12 x 12 px circle (#7F7F7F), on top of which we will add a smaller 4 x 4 px one (#EDEDED), which we will
group (Control-G) and then center
align to the larger underlying shape.

Step 26

Add some of the bridge’s details using a few rectangles (#7F7F7F)
and a circle (#7F7F7F), which we will position as seen in the reference image.
Take your time, and once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the current
section’s composing shapes before moving on to the next step.

Step 27

Create the rectangular details sitting on top of the hull’s second ring
section, using four 8 x 4 px rectangles
(#AAAAAA), which we will rotate using a 45º
angle (right click > Transform >
Rotate > 45º), making sure to snap their anchors back to the Pixel Grid.

Step 28

Finish off the hull by adding the two circular details using an 8 x 8 px circle (#7F7F7F), on top of
which we will add a smaller 4 x 4 px one
(#F2A16B), which we will group (Control-G), duplicate (Control-C > Control-F), and then position onto the sides of the ship as seen in the reference image.
Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G)
all of the current section’s composing shapes, before moving on to the next
step.

Step 29

Start working on the left propulsion unit’s wing by creating a 24 x 12 px rectangle (#D8D8D8), which we
will position at a distance of 22 px from
the secondary hull’s bottom edge and 6
px from its vertical detail line.

Step 30

Give the shape that we’ve just created a subtle highlight using a 24 x 2 px rectangle, which we will
color using #FFFFFF and then center align to its top edge.

Step 31

Add three 4 x 4 px detail
squares (#7F7F7F) positioned 2 px from
one another, which we will group (Control-G)
and then position 2 px from
the wing’s left edge and its top highlight. Once you have them in place, select
and group (Control-G) all of the
current section’s composing shapes before moving on to the next step.

Step 32

Create the main shape for the ship’s left warp engine using a 16 x
128 px rectangle, which we will color using #EDEDED, and then position at a
distance of 4 px from the smaller
wing and 28 px from the ship’s main
hull.

Step 33

Add the tip using a 12 x 12 px circle
(#F2A16B), which we will center align to the taller rectangle, positioning it
at a distance of 8 px from its top
edge.

Step 34

Create a 16 x 8 px rectangle
(#EDEDED), which we will adjust as seen in the reference image, positioning the
resulting shape on the lower half of the tip.

Step 35

Fill in the gap between the warp engine’s main body and its tip by
positioning a 16 x 2 px rectangle, which we will color using #EDEDED.

Step 36

Add some of the current section’s highlights (#FFFFFF) using the reference image as your main guide.
Take your time, and once you’re done, move on to the next step.

Step 37

Create the left wing segment using a 4 x 32 px rectangle (#AAAAAA), which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its left corners to 2 px from within the Transform panel’s Rectangle Properties. Center align a 2 x 12 px rectangle (#7F7F7F) to the resulting shape’s right edge,
grouping (Control-G) and then
positioning the two at a distance of 2
px from the current section’s bottom edge.

Step 38

Add the right wing using a copy (Control-C
> Control-F) of the one that we’ve just created, which we will
vertically reflect (right click >
Transform > Reflect > Vertical) and then position on the opposite
side of the warp engine.

Step 39

Create a 16 x 4 px rectangle,
which we will color using #636363 and then position below the warp engine’s
main body.

Step 40

Add the rear end of the engine using a 16 x 16 px square (#7F7F7F), which we will adjust by setting the Radius of its bottom corners to 6 px.

Step 41

Give the shape that we’ve just created a set of four 2 x 16 px rectangles (#636363)
positioned 2 px from one another,
which we will group (Control-G) and
then mask. Once you’re done, select and group (Control-G) all of the left warp engine’s composing shapes together,
before moving on to the next step.

Step 42

Finish up the ship by creating the right warp engine using a copy of
the one that we’ve just finished working on, which we will vertically reflect (right click > Transform > Reflect
> Vertical), and then position on the opposite side. Once you’re done,
select and group all of its composing sections using the Control-G keyboard shortcut.

6. How to Create
the Warp Lines

Assuming you’ve locked
the previous layer and already moved on to the next one (that would be the
third one), let’s take a couple of moments and add the little warp lines that help
create the illusion of movement.

Step 1

Create the left-sided warp lines using five 2 px wide rounded rectangles (#FFFFFF)
with a 1 px Corner Radius and
varying heights, which we will position as seen in the reference image, making
sure to select and group (Control-G)
them together afterwards.

Step 2

Add the right-sided warp line using a copy (Control-C > Control-F) of the ones
that we’ve just finished working on, which we will vertically reflect (right click > Transform > Reflect
> Vertical) and then position on the opposite side of the ship.

Step 3

Finish off the current section by adding the
bottom warp lines (#FFFFFF), making sure to select and group all of them
together afterwards using the Control-G keyboard
shortcut.

7. How to Create the Texture

Since we’re pretty much done working on our starship, we can now move on to
the fourth and last layer, where we will create the subtle texture covering the
entire illustration.

Step 1

Unlock the first two layers and then quickly grab
a copy (Control-C) of the background
and the ship’s sections that go outside of its surface, which we will paste (Control-F) back onto the texture layer,
making sure to color them using black (#000000) afterwards.

Step 2

Select all of the shapes that we’ve just pasted, and make them behave
like a single larger one by using Pathfinder’s
Make Compound Shape advanced option.

Step 3

Select the resulting compound shape and turn it into a texture by going
to Effect > Photoshop Effects >
Texture > Grain and setting the Intensity
to 58, making sure to set the Grain Type to Sprinkles.

Step 4

Finally, set the resulting texture’s Blending Mode to Soft Light,
lowering its Opacity all the way
down to 20%.

Live Long and
Prosper!

It might have taken us a while to get here, but I truly believe the end
result makes it all worth it. That being said, I hope you’ve managed to follow
each and every step, and if you have any questions, feel free to post them
within the comments area and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!